Hey guys had no internet access until now, hence why this is so late. Anyway hope you enjoy, Marluxia's going recruiting
Axel led me down a corridor, a corridor exactly the same as all the other corridors in the Castle – brilliant white walls and ceilings with too harsh artificial light – till we reached a dead end. Axel stopped in front of the wall at the end of the corridor and without turning around extended his hand, palm facing the wall. I watched as a black hole appeared, just like the one I half remembered seeing when The Trio had disappeared with Myde. Axel turned to me and smirked, I raised an eyebrow at him.
"You expect me to just walk through this without any proof that it won't do me harm?" I asked. There was no fear in my voice, just scepticism and distrust – maybe living without a heart wasn't such a bad thing if it meant that I never had to fear anything ever again. Axel shrugged, grinning.
"Hey have I ever steered you wrong?" he asked. I continued to look at him with a raised eyebrow and a less than amused expression. It felt like a conversation we would have had before but it was different now; he was much too self-assured and I didn't trust him. A part of me knew that I should trust him – he was still Lea after all…or was he? I didn't feel like my old self anymore – I was still there but no longer in control, like my pilot had been replaced but I was still going along for the ride – so why should he be any different.
"So what happens when I walk through?" I asked after a moment's pause where we stood and sized each other up.
"The portal will take you where you need to go." Axel replied. "When you want to return do the same thing but think about coming back here. That's very important; you need to think about where you want to go otherwise you could end up anywhere."
"And if I choose not to?" I asked. Axel simply shrugged.
"Hey if you do it's your funeral." he stated. "The Superior will be expecting you back so I wouldn't try making my grand escape unless you want to be followed by Dusks ready to rip you to pieces."
"Point taken." I replied and stepped through the portal.
When I stepped out of the portal's encompassing darkness the cool air hit me and I took a deep breath. It felt like months since I had been outside in the fresh air but in reality it had only been a few days. Under any normal circumstances I knew that that would have bothered me but now I found that I didn't care. I cast a glance over my shoulder to see the dark portal that had brought me here dissipating into the air. So I guess Axel was right – I'd have to make my own way back to the Castle now, just so long as I completed my mission first.
I looked around trying to work out where I was (I knew where I was supposed to be going but Axel could have sent me anywhere) until I caught sight of the old abandoned castle that stood on the outskirts of Radiant Gardens. I allowed myself to smirk slightly – at least I was in the right place, it would take me no time at all to get to Arlene's house. No! I can't do this, I need to protect her!
I shook my head. I was still having thoughts that weren't my own but they seemed to be shifting. Now the thoughts of hate and malice were becoming more prominent and those that would have been normal to me where feeling more and more alien the more I was becoming used to my new heartless self. Before, when they were thoughts about torturing others, the thought had disturbed me but now the thoughts about saving people, doing good, were becoming an annoyance – like a pathetic conscience inside my head that had no place being there any longer.
I felt a drop of rain hit my face and then another and another in quick succession before rain began to pelt down around me. I reached around and pulled the hood of my cloak up over my head. That probably should have been the first thing I did; my trademark pink hair was still rather recognisable. I couldn't take the risk that someone would see me or, even worse, recognise me – I wanted to leave Radiant Gardens with only one victim on this occasion.
I began to make my way towards the town, keeping to the shadows and making sure not to be seen if I did come across another person. Luckily the rain seemed to prevent that; most people had run for cover as soon as the storm had started. It was a strange feeling – looking at the old haunts I had had before – it was like I had been living someone else's life for the past twenty years and I had finally awoken but I still had their memories.
I turned a corner and entered the town's suburbs and a small chuckle escaped me – I was getting closer to my target. I walked passed a house with a small garden and a 'For Sale' sign standing at the front of the garden. I recognised the garden but that part of my memory was still a little foggy so I couldn't remember why but something that I couldn't explain drew me over to the garden; it was filled with all kinds of flowers standing strong against the rain. I reached out and took hold of the stem of a large red rose, drawing it close to my face and smelling it.
I then let the flower fall back into place before running a gloved finger over the petals of the flower almost lovingly. As I did the thorns on the rose grew more prominent and the petals turned a mixture of black and a very deep purple. I stood and watched as the darkness caused by my touch spread throughout the entire garden, turning it into a wilderness of thorns, nettles and evil looking blooms before continuing on my way, smirking to myself. Axel may be able to cause destruction with just a flick of his wrist but there was still beauty within the darkness inside me.
The streets of Radiant Gardens hadn't changed a bit since I was last there; same pub, same café, same houses. The only exception was the one, and a few others around it, where Lea and I used to live which was now a pile of smouldering rubble, evidently the fire had spread before it was put out and had taken a lot with it. I looked at the wreckage of the place that I had once called home and I felt nothing. I didn't care that everything that defined my life was now reduced to ash and that there were probably other casualties of that fire as well, judging by the wreaths and flowers that circled the destruction.
I took a closer look and saw that in the centre of one of the wreaths was placed a small laminated photograph of Lea and I; I had my arm around Lea's shoulder and he was making a peace sign behind my head, both of us beaming at the camera. Next to the photo was another card that read 'Lea and Lumaria – always in our hearts', I laughed softly at the irony of that statement. I reached down to do the same thing to the wreath as I had down to the garden but something stopped me. I don't know what it was – probably my previous self trying to take back a small bit of control – but I decided that I would let it be and left the wreath as it was.
I turned and wound my way around the back alleys to Arlene's house. The streets were still littered with 'Missing' posters, some that had been there for a long time and others that were new (I saw my own face staring back at me from the side of a few lampposts and buildings) and I chuckled again. I knew what had happened to each and every one of the people photographed for all to see; we now resided in another world and wouldn't be coming back any time soon.
When I reached Arlene's house the first thing I noticed was that all the lights were off, she was still at work. No matter, I thought as I stretched my open palm out in front of me and another dark portal appeared. I felt a small twinge of what should have been excitement; it was the first time I had done this by myself and as I walked through I thought of being inside Arlene's house. When I stepped out of the darkness I felt the ghost of elation as I took in the familiar sight that was Arlene's living room. Now all I had to do was wait.
After half an hour I heard a key being placed in the lock and Arlene's voice as lights were flicked on. I hid out of sight, in the shadows behind the door and watched as Arlene stepped inside, trying to quickly shut it behind her but the person on the other side made that impossible.
"Well thanks again for walking me home John but I really didn't need it." she said and I could hear her trying to put on a fake smile for the man.
"Well I could hardly leave a beautiful girl like yourself to walk home by herself when there are all sorts wandering around these days." he said. "And since your last escort went missing, what was his name? Larry? Lawrence?"
"Lumaria." Arlene corrected quickly.
"Yep him." John said hurriedly glossing over it. "Since he's gone I thought you'd need someone to take his place."
"Well thanks again John," Arlene said irritably. "but I've got a few things to do tonight so I'll see you at work tomorrow ok?"
"Oh ok…" John began but Arlene cut him off by shutting the door in his face and leaning against it sighing. She was close enough for me to reach out and touch but I let her be for a moment, content with watching her silently grieving my Other self as the rain fell harder outside. After a moment she pushed herself off the door and as she did a brilliant flash of lightning from outside filled the room and she saw me standing there. Her scream of terror was muffled somewhat by the booming thunder as she backed away until she hit the opposite wall.
"W…who are you?" she stammered. "How did you get in here?"
"Relax," I said as I reached up and pulled my hood down to reveal my face. "it's me." Arlene's eyes widened and she stared at me in surprise before running over to me and flinging her arms round my neck and peppering my face with soft kisses.
"Oh my god, Lumaria!" she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It's really you!" I smirked and wrapped my arms around her.
"Yeah it's me." I lied.
"Everyone thinks you're dead!" she exclaimed pulling away to look at me as if making sure it really was me. "I knew you weren't, I knew you had to be alive somewhere. Where have you been?"
"I got caught in the fire." I told her. "I've been recovering." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't exactly the truth either.
"Why didn't you call?" she asked wiping some of her tears away. "I was worried sick!"
"I didn't think it was as bad as it actually was." I replied shrugging. She stared at me, mouth open as if to say something but she seemed to think better of it. She leaned up and softly kissed me before taking my hand and leading me into her living room.
"It's ok; you're back now that's all that matters."
"Yeah." I agreed trying to look comforting. Once we were out of the darkness of her doorway Arlene turned to look at me and fear clouded over her face.
"Lumaria," she began and I could hear the fear in her voice. "why are you dressed like that?"
"What do you mean?" I asked as she continued to stare at me with fear in her eyes.
"That cloak," she replied her voice barely above a whisper. "you said that was the kind of thing those girls were wearing when you saw them."
"Oh you don't have to worry about them." I told her. "They won't be bothering anyone ever again."
"What do you mean?" she asked backing away from me, towards the windowsill – right where I wanted her.
"Let's just say they've been taken care of by a mutual friend." I smirked thinking of Axel and what Arlene would make of his new career as a hired killer.
"Lumaria, you're scaring me." Arlene stated her eyes wide as her back hit the windowsill and she realised she had nowhere left to run. I case the smallest of glances to the side of her; she still had the small rose tree I had given her for her birthday.
"There's another thing," I smirked evilly, advancing on her. "I'm not Lumaria anymore." I stretched out my hand and felt something heavy fall into it. I cast a glance round to see that a long thin scythe with a long, sharp looking blade on the end had appeared in my hand and I laughed. This was a weapon that would suit me nicely. I swung the scythe round so that the blade was mere inches away from Arlene's throat. She screamed and tried to jump back but she was trapped.
I laughed and clicked my fingers. The stems of the rose tree began to grow to a monstrous length and snake their way out of the pot and up Arlene's arms. She gasped and looked down to see the vines now climbing up her arms and around her stomach, holding her in place. Once she was held hard and fast by the vines I had manipulated I clicked my fingers once again and thorns sprung out of plant, digging into her skin and drawing blood. She cried out in agony and tried to struggle against the plant's hold on her but it was no use, it was holding too tightly and the only way she could get away would be to tear chunks out of her own flesh.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked looking up at me, fear and sadness in those eyes that once held so much beauty for me as I advanced on her, still keeping the blade of the scythe at her throat.
"I'm just following orders." I told her, caressing her cheek softly. "It's nothing personal."
"How can it not be personal?" she spat as I got a flash of a fire in her I had never seen before and I realised that I could get used to seeing her like this. There was something wonderful about having all her hatred focused on me. I ran my thumb over her bottom lip and she tried to sink away from my touch.
"I really did love you, you know." I told her before claiming her lips as mine in a kiss. Despite herself, with her body at my mercy, Arlene responded to the feeling of my lips against hers, kissing me back with equal force. As she kissed me I moved the hand on her face down to her chest, letting it linger over one of her breasts before I felt something in her sternum give and I was able to plunge it into her chest.
Arlene broke the kiss throwing her head back and screaming in a pain that I remembered only too well. As I watched her, sweat and tears rolling down her cheeks as she was powerless to stop me, I felt something trying to tug my hand out of her chest; like another part of me, boxed up in a glass prison in my head, was ramming its fist against the glass and screaming for me to stop. I pushed the thought to the back on my mind and pushed my hand on until I felt her heart press against my palm. I clenched my first around it and a new onslaught of pain seemed to overtake her.
It was a very different experience from seeing it down to someone else, having it down to yourself and actually doing it to someone but I began to retract my hand from her chest, taking her heart with it. It slipped out like I was pulling it through water and soon I was staring at Arlene's heart beating in the palm of my hand. She was also staring intently at it, her eyes wide with horror – just like Myde's hand been and just like mine had probably been when I had received the same treatment. We both watched as black smoke enveloped the heart in my hand and it slowly began to turn from blood red to deepest black.
Once Arlene's heart was completely black I looked into her eyes and plunged it back into her chest. A new series of pained screams filled the air as her heart, now consumed by darkness was shoved back inside her body and the darkness began spreading like a poison through her veins. I removed the scythe from her throat and allowed the vines to retract their thorns and snake their way back to the plant they had originally come from. I silently congratulated myself for being able to do something that complex on my first try at using the powers I possessed.
With neither the plant or myself supporting her any longer Arlene fell to the floor, coughing and spluttering as the darkness engulfed her and began to take effect. She looked up at me with hazy half lidded eyes as she desperately tried to keep herself from falling into unconsciousness.
"Why?" she breathed as our eyes met.
"The Superior ordered me to bring you to him." I said partially ignoring her. "We shouldn't keep him waiting."
I watched as she seemed to stop fighting the darkness and passed out. I picked up her lifeless body and slung it over my shoulder. I extended my hand, thinking about getting back to the Castle, and a dark portal appeared in front of me. I stepped through it taking Arlene with me and leaving behind her old life and whatever part of my old self that had been inside my head with it.